Three Sites That Teach the Value of a Buck

At some point, your little birdies are going to dive out of the nest and directly into a hurricane of credit offers, career decisions, and spending temptations.

Prevent a financial nosedive by teaching them money must-knows before they fly—without the eye-rolling.

Zibkids makes starting a business fun and easy(and free). Kids pick from a menu of business ideas (from jewelry design to the traditional lemonade racket), and Zibkids provides a guide, a biz-card template, flyers, a website, and a neat profit-tracking tool. Best for elementary- and middle-schoolers.

Tykoon digitizes the family economy, turning “Buy me this!” into a lasting teachable moment. Families negotiate tasks and rewards (some financial, some not). Kids can save for short- and long-term goals, and share their spending and giving decisions with parents and parent-approved friends. Tykoon is free and geared toward eight- to 12-year-olds.

My Classroom Economy is a program that helps teachers create a “mini-economy” for their students. There are no boring classes—it’s fun, natural, and designed to complement, rather than replace, the existing curriculum. Share this free resource with your kid’s teachers—grades K-12.

Out of the BoxIf you want to start really young, check out Sesame Street’s “For Me, For You, For Later” toolkit. The site features videos, podcasts, printable activities, and tips for parents.